Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) devices are semiconductor devices with embedded mechanical components. MEMS devices are used in a wide variety of products such as automobile airbag systems, control applications in automobiles, navigation, display systems, inkjet cartridges, and so forth. MEMS devices include, for example, pressure sensors, accelerometers, gyroscopes, microphones, digital mirror displays, micro fluidic devices, and so forth. A MEMS pressure sensor typically uses a pressure cavity and a membrane element, referred to as a diaphragm, that deflects under pressure. In some configurations, a change in the distance between two plates, where one of the two plates is the movable diaphragm, creates a variable capacitor to detect strain (or deflection) due to the applied pressure over an area.